Night Safari

Singapore's Night Safari showcases nocturnal animals and is the only night zoo in the world. We got the earliest time slot we could - 7:15 pm, and we got back home at 11:30 pm. The kids were so tired, but it was an amazing zoo.

It's very dark. I was expecting more lit areas, but the zoo was designed by a lighting designer who tried to replicate natural moon light. They did a great job. The paths are lit by low lighting, the lights literally point down at your feet, and the animal enclosures have a moon lit feel. Surprisingly you see the animals quite well.

We started out in a long queue that moved quite quickly and got us on the safari ride. It felt like Disney World's Safari ride, a bit bumpy and a little faster in places, but at night. It was a nice long ride though, probably about 45 minutes. We were able to spot the animals in most of the enclosures. The keepers had placed food right near the front so animals were in great spots for us to see them. The herbivores aren't even behind cage walls; they're kept in the Safari Enclosures by cattle guards.

After the safari, the show was just about to start so we checked it out. It was a full house, and very well done. They showed us lots of different animals, some big cats on the rock behind the water and some much closer on the stage and even running or flying down the outdoor auditorium stairs .

Originally we were going to leave the kids at home. They did fine, but it's a very late night. I might leave them home next time. We didn't do everything, and we left at 10:30 p.m. because the kids couldn't do any more. They found wandering through jungle paths in the night a bit scary too.

When we were on safari we all spotted the real moon in the sky. It was a small crescent that night, but here at the Equator it looks just like the Cheshire Cat's smile. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that!